Wow, there must have been a disturbance in the force... I log in 3 days after this is posted.

Sad to say, nothing really exciting keeping me busy... just more to do around the house since I became unexpectedly single this summer. Have to wear two hats these days... though I figure in another year or two I may figure out how to fold every size of towel I own and make them look like the ones I folded the week before.

- Did some dating (dating in one's thirties is a train wreck, let me tell you - where's SpeakerGrrl when you need her?)

- Still doing a lot of shooting (only some of which was tied to the dating)

- Spent the summer and fall doing a lot of wood refinishing (mostly gunstocks - been buying up a lot of "fixer-uppers", many of them end up in the hands of people that used to own one just like it... that's always worth a smile... "hey, I had one of these when I was a kid...")

- Been actually USING the home theatre a lot more (now that it's not a democratic vote on movies to watch, been going back and watching or re-watching a ton of war movies, if anyone's got some suggestions, let me know... though at a rate of 6-7 a week, I think I've almost covered the genre)... ended up having to buy a new TV, nothing shocking or amazing, just a 42" RCA LCD.

Sad to say, nothing really exciting keeping me busy... just more to do around the house since I became unexpectedly single this summer. Have to wear two hats these days... though I figure in another year or two I may figure out how to fold every size of towel I own and make them look like the ones I folded the week before.

Ok you are single now so first lesson. You don’t have to fold towels. That’s what the “clean pile” is for. A walk-in closet works great to store the “clean pile” an extra bedroom will do in a pinch. You can sell, give or throw away that dresser now that It’s redundant. Also get rid of the hangers. Only things that go on hangers are stuff that needs to be dry cleaned everything else goes in the “clean pile.”

Originally Posted By: BrenR

- Did some dating (dating in one's thirties is a train wreck

The only thing better than dating in my thirties was dating in New Zealand. American and Canadian English accents (many Kiwis can’t tell the difference) are a ticket to a sure thing. For the Aussie and Kiwi members the opposite is true if you visit the States.

Great way I found to meet eligible bachelorettes in my 30s was to go back to university. By the time they get there many are sick of immature guys and looking to date “older” men. So if there’s a university nearby take a class.

Though not really a “traditional” war movie if you haven’t seen it “Kelley’s Heroes” is IMO one of the best WWII movies ever made. Also, if you’re running out of movies I always liked the TV series “Combat!” Think of it as “Band of Brothers” lite. It ran 5 seasons (first 4 in B&W) and tops out at over 150 episodes so it could last awhile.

I'll say out loud what all the married guys are thinking. Deep down somewhere, we envy your new found freedom. I'd never trade my wife for anything in the world or beyond and I admit I'd probably go nuts on my own now too.... but nostalgia does kick in when I hear about guy returning to bachelorhood.

Keep us updated when you feel inclined so we can live vicariously through your stories and remember, even if you don't have any good stories, you owe it to us to make some up.

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With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.

...been going back and watching or re-watching a ton of war movies, if anyone's got some suggestions, let me know... though at a rate of 6-7 a week, I think I've almost covered the genre)...

AHHH! You've come to the right place. I'm going to assume you've seen most of the more modern greats, Band of Brothers, Das Boot, The Great Escape (if it's in color, it's modern) etc. Not sure how far back you're willing to go, or if you can stand black and white and a 3x4 aspect ratio. If you can...

Battleground One of my favorites.Destination Tokyo Great sub movie Sahara Bogie at his bestRun Silent, Run Deep Another excellent sub movie. Gable and Lancaster this time.Five Graves To Cairo A real sleeper. Not a lot of action but a slick mystery with a nice twist at the end. It's a wonderful and clever movie that should not be missed. The Enemy Below Tense duel between destroyer captain Robert Mitchum and U-Boat commander Kurt Jurgens.Stalag 17 Excellent German POW camp drama. William Holden with a great cast of supporting actors. (AT EASE!)Sands of Iwo Jima John WayneThe Dam Busters True story of the ingenious British bombing technique used to destroy the Ruhr river dams and flood the heart of the German industrial complex. I believe many of the shots of the bombing tests are the actual tests, not scenes staged for the movie.Bataan Another great ensemble cast.

There are, of course, many more but I gotta go eat breakfast. Good to see your name pop up again, Bren.